Cotton-chopper.



A. M. FINOH.

COTTON CHOPPER.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 10,1914.

1,127,220. Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR HE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTOLITHOH WASHINGTON. D. C.

A. M. PINOH.

COTTON CHOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1914.

1,127,220, Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHBBT 2 INVENTOR A.MFzlneh TORNEYS THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTGLITHU.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

ARTHUR M. FINGH, OF HILLSIBORO, TEXAS.

COTTON-CHOPPER.

Application filed June 10, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR M. FINOH, a citizen of the United States,residing at l-lillsboro, in the county of Hill and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful. Improvements in Cotton-Choppers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful cotton chopper, reference beingmade to my co-pending application, Serial No. 845093, filed June 10,1914, which application refers to the chopper-head forming a part of mymachine, and its object is to provide a cotton chopper that may be usedas an at tachinent for an ordinary cultivator, and which will have itscutting member adjustable both vertically and longitudinally off itsshaft, so that the operator may regulate the depth of cut, and may shiftthe cutting member forward or back so as to vary to some extent thepoint at which it takes effect upon the row.

A still further object is to provide a device of the characterdescribed, that will be strong, durable, eilicient and simple andcomparatively inexpensive to produce, also one in which the severalparts will not be likely to get out of working order.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has relation tocertain novel features of construction and operation, an example ofwhich is described in the following specification and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of my cottonchopper. Fig. is a view of the same in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a frontview'of the cotton chopper with certain portions thereof broken away.Fig. 4c is a detail view of the chopping member. Fig. 5 is a detail viewshowing the mounting of one end of the shaft carrying the choppingmember, this view being a. section taken upon the line .r-m of Fig. 2.Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of my cotton chopper.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like referencecharacters designate similar parts in all the figures, the numeral -1denotes a pair of transporting wheels which are mounted upon theextremities of an ordinary arched axle 2, such as is employed on themajority of cultivators.

A tongue 3 terminates some distance in front of the horizontal centerportion of the axle, upon the ends of which portion there arerespectively mounted brackets 4, to

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

Serial No. 844,127.

which are rigidly secured the rear ends of a pair of frame members 5,which project forwardly some distance in a parallel relation, and arethen extended toward each other at a forward inclination, their frontends being oppositely attached to the tongue at a distance from its rearend. The two members 5 are rigidly connected by a brace bar 6 contiguouswith the rear end of the tongue.

A bracket 8 is secured to the under side of the tongue at its rear endand constitutes a support for an arch bar 7 transverse of the tongue,and the outturned extremities 9 of the arch bar form pivotal supportsrespectively for the forward ends of a pair of parallel cultivator beams10, upon each of which a pair of plow shovels 11 are mounted fast. Thevertical portions of the axle and of the arch bar 7 arerigidly'connected with each other at each side of my cotton chopper by abrace rod 19, the two brace rods 12 being convergent from the axle tothe member 7, and being extended forwardly from the arch bar 7 to thetongue, to which they are secured as indicated at 12, the point 12 beingspaced forwardly some distance from the rear. end of the tongue.

Between the rear portions of the beams 10, there is rigidly extended across bar 14, which maintains said beams in a constant spaced relation,and further serves to support certain parts presently to be descriliied.llhe vertical portions of the arch bar 7 are connected in a rigidrelation by a cross bar 16 from which an arm 16 extends rigidly downward(see Fig. From the lower end of the arm 16, a pair of horizontal rods 17are extended rearwardly in a divergent relation, their rear extremitiesbeing re spectively secured to the forward ends of a horizontal U-shapedframe 18.

The forward ends of the frame form bearings for a horizontal axle 19,lying beneath the axle 2, and having mounted upon its extremities smallground wheels 20, one at each side of the frame 18.

A pair of intermeshing bevel gears 21 serve to communicate rotation fromthe axle 19 to a horizontal chopping shaft 22 parallel to the beams 10,the forward end of said shaft being journaled in the center portion ofthe frame 18.

The rear end of the shaft 22 is provided with a bearing 23, which ishung in a U- shape frame 24: secured to the underside of a collar 25centrally mounted upon the rod 14. The bearing 23 is adapted to undergoa limited upward displacement in the frame 24, and during suchdisplacement is guided by the engagement of a pair of laterallyprojecting pins 26 in vertical slots 27, formed in the frame 24 at eachside thereof; Avertical coiled spring 28 is interposed between thebearing 23 and sleeve 25, tending to maintain the bearing 23 normallyseated in the lower end of the frame 24. The journal forming endportions of the shaft 22 are round, but the remaining portion of theshaft is of square cross section (see Fig. 6), thereby adapting it toimpart rotation to the chopping member which it carries with outrestricting said member against sliding displacement on the shaft. Thechopping member comprises a sliding hub 29, and a pair of spirallycurved chopping bladesf30, held equidistant from the hub by spokes 31,each blade being extended through an are somewhat less than 180 degrees,and the two being disposed at opposite sides of the hub, so that theirextremities are spaced both transversely of the cotton chopper and alsolongitudinally thereof. The chopping member furthermore includes a pairof diametrically opposite teeth 32 which project rigidly from the hubinto the spaces between the blades 30. The hub 29 is formed with anannular groove, which receives a loose collar 33, from the sides ofwhich a pair of pins 3% project laterally into vertical slots 35 formedin a yoke 36. The yoke 36 is hung upon the lower end of a substantiallyvertical lever 37 pivoted upon an arch bracket 38 rigidly extendinglongitudinally of the cotton chopper, the rear end of said. bracketbeing mounted fast upon the sleeve 25, and its forward-end fast upon thetransverse portion of the frame 18. By swinging said lever forward orback about its pivot, the chopping member will be subjected tov a slightdisplacement upon the correlated shaft. With said lever there iscorrelated the usual means for holding the lever adjusted in variouspositions of angular dis placement.

, The structural features of my invention having been above fullydescribed, the operation of thesame will now be explained. My cottonchopper is to travel along a row of cotton straddling the same, androtation will be communicated to the shaft 19 and chopping member fromthe small wheels 20. Each blade of the chopping member as it cuts acrossa row will remove a number of plants leaving a space. As the adjacentextremities of the chopping blade cut across the row, the space betweensaid blade will cause a number of plants in the row to be left standingproducing a hill. The teeth 31 cutting centrally through the hill willloosen up the earth without uprooting the plants. By swinging the lever37 the operator can cause the chopping member to dodge any desired plantwhich it may be approaching, so that where the growth is sparse, thesize of the hill may be somewhat increased. In case the chopping memberencounters an. obstacle in the row or some slight rise in the ground,the rear end of the shaft 19 will undergo a certain upward displacementcompressing the spring 28, and said spring will return the rear end ofthe shaft to its normal. position after the obstacle or elevation hasbeen. surmounted.

The invention is. presented as including all such modifications andchanges as properly come within the scope of the following claim:

'VVhat I claimis:

A cotton chopper comprising an arched axle, transporting wheels mountedupon the extremities thereof, a tongue rigidly connected with said axleand spaced in front thereof, an arch bar depending. from the tongue andhaving transverse relation with the tongue, a pair of beams. extendingrearwardly from the extremities of the arch bar, a member rigidlyconnecting the lower portions of the arch bar, an arm rigidly dependingfrom said member, a horizontally disposed U-shaped wheeled frame spacedrearwardly from said arm and connected with the lower end thereof, amember rigidly connecting the rear. end portions of said beams, a shaftparallel to. said beams having its rear end supported by said member andits forward end supported by the U- shaped frame, means. communicatingrotation to said shaft from the wheels of the. U- shaped frame, and acotton chopping member mounted upon said shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresencev of two subscribing witnesses.

J. J. JORDAN, EDWIN VAUGHAN.

Copies. of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

